tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74608856382006698702017-09-24T04:38:03.015-04:00Id of a WriterAlexander Piercenoreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-87543002769377741052016-04-23T16:43:00.000-04:002016-04-23T16:49:22.030-04:00Movie Review - Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeI've done a few movie reviews in the past, and I think I'll pick them up again. They won't be pretty, and they won't be professional. But they WILL be honest.<br /><br />Before I spew a giant wall of text, I'll come clean, I'm primarily a Marvel Comics and Independent comics guy. But!!!!! I DO love Batman (most of the comics runs have been fantastic and I've been reading them for years), and some of the Superman runs hold a place close to my heart.<br /><br />Now, onto the wall of text...<br /><br />There were parts of the movie that I LOVED, standing on their own, apart from the rest of the movie, because the movie as a whole is BROKEN. I'll give some specific thoughts without going into spoilers (because people can read this before seeing the movie, though I really suggest they don't... see the movie).<br /><br />Ben Affleck was phenomenal as Batman, and frankly, I had my doubts going in. I believed. He WAS Bruce Wayne, he WAS the Dark Knight. Boy got RIPPED for the role too. And Jeremy Irons was a sassy MF Alfred.<br /><br />The BvS fight was AWESOME, even if the story that led to there rang false because there wasn't enough of it to make it matter.<br /><br />Gal Godot IS Wonder Woman, and there simply wasn't enough of her. I can't wait for her stand alone movie.<br /><br />The reveals of C, F, and A were just right (though I do have issues with some of the hand wavy around some of it). I can't wait to see A's movie right along with Wonder Woman's.<br /><br />And that's the entirety of what I loved about the movie.<br /><br />Middle-ground?<br />Zack Snyder gets a rainbow sticker, because he seems to have learned how to break up long-ass fight scenes so I don't get too bored, which is an improvement. But then I'm going to light that sticker on fire because he can't tell a coherent story.<br /><br />And then there's the stuff that just blew bloody little goat chunks.<br /><br />Henry Cavill is a pretty damned good actor, but we're not allowed to actually give a damn about him in this movie (or the last). There was so much potential for the whole story around "do we need Superman" and what that says about us, but it seems like Snyder got bored with it partway through and just started smashing his toys around. The explosion, you know the one I'm talking about, was a great opportunity, and the story started to ask the right questions, and then seems to have dropped them.<br /><br />The dreams... WTF is up with them? Completely unnecessary and so BADLY done. Were these just Zack Snyder spending all the money they could throw at him?<br /><br />There's the unnecessary "origin story" one at the beginning of the movie? Remember how it ends? With a certain physics defying act? There's no lead in that it's a dream and not a memory, that gets revealed in a voice over.... yay?<br /><br />The post-apocalypse one from the trailer? Why? If the supposed purpose was to show how Bruce was tortured by a dystopian vision of what unchecked power can do? So he has a reason to go down a dark path? Meanwhile he's running around unchecked himself? Ben Affleck can act. Let him. The little discussion Bruce had with Alfred did fine on its own.<br /><br />Then there's the illogical car chase stuff, and the over-equipping of bad guys. Who uses a heavily armed convoy of private contractors to covertly transport/smuggle something into a city? Way to fly under the radar... and there's a part near the beginning of that chase where the hero,<br />A) stands somewhere really stupid to do something really simple, (because it's dramatic?), and<br />B) does something no one would do if they were trying to move fast. Do you drop anchor on a ship and drag it behind you if you're trying to catch something? Oh, but look, it magically came in handy... good thing our hero has some sort of bat-precognition.<br /><br />The final fight scene, how nice that they gave us time to breathe and a few lighter moments that were robbed of their levity by the trailers (haha, is she with you?). It's nice that Snyder watched the Avengers movies, isn't it?<br /><br />Also... kudos to Perry White, the most powerful journalistic (illuminati) editor in the world. Despite the fact that "no one reads the newspaper any more" he can fly his ONE reporter all over the world, AND serve up a helicopter "ON THE ROOF" at a moment's notice... damn that man's got power.<br /><br />And last, the part of the movie that drove me batty (pun intended) was Eisenberg's Luthor. Who would let that man do ANYTHING? Oh, wait... maybe it's an allegory, where Lex Luthor is a stand in for Zach Snyder, and the authorities in the world around him are stand ins for DC/WB?<br /><br />I give it 3 stars, out of 10. There were some absolutely awesome elements to the movie (see what I loved above), but there's just too much crap and garbage packed around it.<br /><br />It earns the distinction of being the first movie below the threshold of suck on my <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/p/movie-list.html">Movie List</a><br /><br />Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-87772390252818925302016-04-11T12:04:00.004-04:002016-04-11T12:04:39.706-04:00Needs doing.Wow... I had a bit of a crisis with writing my blog back in... <goes check="" to="">... ahem, July of last year.</goes><br /><br />I need to get things sorted and cleaned up around here, and maybe change up the way I'm (not) blogging.<br /><br /><br />Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-82479581081750451122015-07-03T22:48:00.000-04:002015-07-03T22:48:30.998-04:00Outlining vs Pantsing: Why choose just one?Note: This post is&nbsp;<i>late</i>. I mean waaaaaay late.&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.com/2015/06/a-glitch-in-system.html">But it's also not the first time I've written it.</a>&nbsp;I can only hope I'm half as coherent this time around as I was last time, because you can't see last time.<br /><br />First, some quick definitions:<br /><br /><b><u>Outlining</u></b><br />The process where a writer builds a framework for their story before they start writing. This can be done at the plot level, where the major points in the start, middle, and end (including a twist or two here and there) are predetermined. It can be done at the arc level, where major character and story elements are planned. And even at the scene level, where every scene is planned out from start to finish with it's own plot and arc covered.<br /><br />Most outliners work at several points along that scale and at varying detail with each work. Some go heavy into their outline for specific scenes or characters, and leave side characters or less key scenes at a very high level.<br /><br />There is a&nbsp;<i>lot</i>&nbsp;of preparation and pre-work with outlining before you even start writing the actual story. Some writers feel that outlining kills the story for them and makes them lose interest.<br /><br /><b><u>Pantsing</u></b><br />Writing by "the seat of your pants". This is the process where a writer has a vague but&nbsp;<i>awesome</i>&nbsp;story idea, character, setting, or theme they want to explore and they just&nbsp;<i>go with it</i>, discovering the story along with their characters.<br /><br />Now, in the case of&nbsp;<i>many</i>&nbsp;pantsers that I've talked to, they often&nbsp;<i>do</i>&nbsp;have an idea of where the story will end before they start. But they don't always end up there.<br /><br />I'm also told that pantsing often involves a fair bit of rewriting and editing, often to the point where more words are cut out of a work than are left in the finished product.<br /><br />Well, now that&nbsp;<i>that's</i>&nbsp;out of the way.<br /><br />There are plenty of blog posts, and articles, and books on the subject of Outlining/Plotting/Architecting and Pantsing/Discovery Writing/Growing stories and why one is better than the other. Or different systems for implementing each. And there are famous (and prolific) writers on each side.<br /><br />With all the people I've talked to I've seen few things more fetishized in genre fiction writing circles than Plotting vs Pantsing (except maybe choice of writing software, alcohol, and the ever-present Mac vs PC).<br /><br />Some people get downright tribal about it.<br /><br />Which I find surprising, because a&nbsp;<i>lot</i>&nbsp;of the writers I spoke to seem to fall somewhere in the middle. Plotting and outlining very loosely, and discovering their way between points.<br /><br />I mean,&nbsp;<i>yes</i>, that sounds like a high level outliner. But they're not rigid in what they've outlined. Instead of points on their outline being anchors to write between, they see them more as guideposts along the trail, and sometimes they'll go for a wander.<br /><br />So where do I sit?<br /><br />Ok, confession time: I'm all over the place with this one. If there's one point of my process that's a hot, gooey,&nbsp;<i>moist</i>, mess, this is it. This is the biggest pain point in my writing process.<br /><br />I can't write without an outline. Not anything complex anyway. Vignettes and short stories for ideas, certainly, but not much more than that. So I definitely fall on the Outline side of the spectrum. I need my waypoints. When it comes to writing, I'm like one of those drivers who can't leave their driveway to go to the corner shop without putting it in their GPS first, even if they can see it from their driveway.<br /><br />But on the same token, I'm not married to my outline. My finished story is&nbsp;<i>never</i>&nbsp;the same one that was in the original outline. It changes and mutates often, as I explore the characters, or spot problems, or get inspired by something that explodes the little synapses in my brain. I may need to turn my GPS on to go to the corner shop, but I don't necessarily have to follow it to get there. Sometimes my trip to the corner shop for a carton of milk ends up at the dairy halfway across town&nbsp;<i>because they have ice cream!</i><br /><i><br /></i>I call this: Agile Outlining.<br /><br />Now if only I was better at it.<br /><br />If it's a problem that puts the brakes on, that can take hours, days, and sometimes even weeks of agonizing and brainstorming to sort out, and I'm paralyzed from pushing further on that story until I sort it out... because it may have ramifications.<br /><br />You see, every time I run into one of those things that make my synapses go BANG, I have to see what it does. Start to finish I have to look at the setup and impacts, the foreshadowing and payoff. I'm not so bad that I have to go back and rewrite the things that beg, nay, the things that&nbsp;<i>need</i>&nbsp;to be rewritten. No! That way madness lies! I go back and make notes. Wonderfully detailed notes in the handy spot&nbsp;<a href="http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener</a>&nbsp;gives me for them.<br /><br />And all is&nbsp;<i>write</i>&nbsp;with the world. (Sorry, couldn't help myself there.)<br /><br />Except that it isn't. These little (nuclear) blasting caps of story don't just happen&nbsp;<i>once</i>&nbsp;in the writing of a book. No. They're not&nbsp;<i>that</i>&nbsp;decent to me. They happen all the time, leaving me with more word count in notes than I often have in my finished manuscript.<br /><br />Editing is its own kind of torture.<br /><br />If you know of any way to help me along in this process, or can throw any tips or suggestions my way, please feel free to do so in the comments. Sadly, I'm a teetotaler, so, while I hear it does the trick for an alarming percentage of the writing community, alcohol won't be of much use.<br /><br />-Alex<br /><br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #4e2800; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">This is the sixth entry in a&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html" style="color: #b5653b; text-decoration: none;">series of posts</a>&nbsp;about my evolving writing process.</i>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-62172512413557856622015-06-12T11:29:00.005-04:002015-06-14T22:08:45.190-04:00A Glitch in the SystemNote to self: Don't trust Blogger.<br /><br />In an effort to be more consistent and reliable in updating my blog I wrote a "<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html">series of posts</a>" about my writing process, where it's been, and where it's going. I had 3 more posts written up and scheduled to drop, but instead of posting them on their scheduled Fridays, Blogger appears to have eaten them instead.<br /><br />Blogger... This is why we can't have nice things. And I hope my words tasted good... and give you indigestion... you monster!<br /><br />So... I'm going to have to rewrite them. Which means there's a great big ugly gap in time in the middle of the series. For that <i>I</i>&nbsp;apologize, because regardless of Blogger eating them, I still should have been checking that they actually, you know, posted. Instead, I was getting into the groove and learning to (not) enjoy getting up at 5am every morning to write.<br /><br />I'll try to have the next post, about Outlining vs Pantsing (which was, and likely will be, a doozy) up sometime soon, if my paying day job doesn't intercede on the Internet's behalf.<br /><br />-GrumbleAlexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-10841206010567155322015-03-20T10:32:00.001-04:002015-03-20T10:36:55.052-04:00Plot: Where are we going and why are we in this hand-basket?Now. I know some of you are pantsers and you're not interested in what I'm selling. But hold on! This isn't about outlining. This is about plot. It's not the same thing. I promise!<br /><i><br /></i>And<i> please</i> stop leaning on the door, you're breaking my foot!<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />A little bit of definition and context for how I'm using the word plot.<br /><br /><b>Plot vs Story</b><br />Look at the term "Plot Twist".<br /><b><br /></b><b>plot twist (noun)</b><br /><i>An unexpected event or development in a book or movie.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>...event or development...</i> keep that in mind.<br /><br />The Story is what you want to tell: A janitor on an interstellar cargo ship saves the galaxy from nefarious space hippos! The Plot is <i>how</i>&nbsp;you tell it. It's the details. The series of choices that allow our intrepid spaceship janitor to overcome those space hippos.<br /><br />Woah! Stop right there. Put that down... Now step away from it...<br /><br />I know "series of choices" makes it sound like an outline, and it <i>can</i>&nbsp;be <i>part</i>&nbsp;of an outline, but it's not <i>the</i>&nbsp;outline. Plots run through every story, and it doesn't matter whether you figure them out beforehand or afterward. I find defining the plots of my stories key in making them flow and keeping them (hopefully) entertaining.<br /><br /><b>Choices</b><br />You'll note that I keep saying choice instead of events. That's intentional. The character's <i>choices</i> should&nbsp;drive the <i>events</i> of the plot, not the other way around. It makes the story more compelling and raises tension.<br /><br />Whether you're plotting through an outline process or you've just finished your first draft and you're sketching out the plot for the first revision, try to define each point as a choice. Every event doesn't have to be a choice, but you'll find the most gripping moments in any story come as a result of a character's choice.<br /><br />The harder the choice, the better the tension. Choices with no good options are best. The character needs stakes, therefore the character's choices need stakes, therefore the plot needs stakes. If you don't have stakes, you are&nbsp;<i>screwed</i>&nbsp;when the vampires come around. Oh, and your story will be boring.<br /><br />With that in mind, it's time for me to wind up some of the outliners.<br /><br />A personal hard and fast rule:&nbsp;<i>Never</i> let the plot dictate the character's actions. I don't care if I've plotted something within the outline with a really cool payoff, if the character wouldn't make that choice, that plot point is <i>broken.</i>&nbsp;I've re-outlined my current book twice already to fix broken plot points.<br /><br />The plot (and in this case the outline), can be changed without changing the story. Don't shoehorn the character's choices and actions to fit it. You'll blow readers out of the story and ruin a perfectly good character's credibility.<br /><br /><b>Consequences</b><br />So, beyond framing plot points as choices, how do I keep them interesting? By having consequences. There's a pretty cool new technology standard coming out that's based on a very old concept. <a href="https://ifttt.com/">If This Then That</a>. Basically, you set up a series of conditions, and when met, something else is done.<br /><br />It's a great concept to build consequences around for the choices that make up your plot. Always <i>know</i>&nbsp;the consequences to any choice, even if it's a small one. Whether you call them out in the story or not, it's key that you <i>know</i>&nbsp;they're there. Those unseen consequences can potentially lead to other choices/plot points.<br /><br />They're one of the coolest toys in the writer's toolbox.<br /><br />From something as little as a space janitor double-knotting his shoe laces: He may need to take his shoes off in a hurry later to get into an EV suit. Does he cut them or untie them? If he cuts them, what does that mean for when he needs to put his shoes back on later?<br /><br />To something as large as the major story resolution: Does our space janitor turned impromptu hero release an untested genetically engineered pacifying agent for the space hippos that could save the galaxy? What if it doesn't work? What if it does? What are the side effects?<br /><br />The consequences of <i>both</i>&nbsp;of those choices can lead to all sorts of further plot elements if you examine them far enough.<br /><br /><b>But...</b><br />Oh. And the choices don't always have to work out. In fact, some of the best choices are the ones that fail spectacularly with the word "but". "But" always adds conflict, and conflict is <i>good.</i>&nbsp;And you can still have your character's deal with the consequences of having made a choice, <i>and</i>&nbsp;the resulting outcome, whether it's from their choice or not.<br /><br />Our hero space janitor orders a secret release of the engineered pacifying virus, but it doesn't work as intended. Instead of pacifying all of the space hippos, it only has any effect on 3% of their population, and instead of making them docile and non-combative, it enrages them against their own kind sparking a small civil war.<br /><br />Being the heroic sort, our space janitor sees an opportunity to help the warring space hippos with their incredibly aggressive minority and in doing so he negotiates peace. He's averted a war between his own people and the space hippos, but he's ultimately <i>directly</i> responsible for the death of 3% of the space hippo population. Even if they don't know it (yet), he does, and he has to live with that knowledge. So do his crew-mates, who will never look at him the same again.<br /><br />See. A simple "but" put in there unleashed a whole LOT of potential plot and conflict.<br /><br /><b>Trimming the Cruft</b><br />Unfortunately, plot can be where a lot of unnecessary stuff and scenes get introduced to the story. This where "Kill your darlings." can readily apply. I know it does for me.<br /><br />If a scene is there to further the plot, either highlighting a choice or a consequence, but it doesn't actually have anything directly related to the story or growth of a character, odds are, it can go. Figuring out which plot points those are, and whether they're key to your primary or secondary plots is one of the hardest things for me to do.<br /><br />I've found a good exercise is to write out the "synopsis lines" for each scene. As much as I <i>hate</i>&nbsp;writing a synopsis, those&nbsp;1 or 2 lines describing what happens in the scene with relation to the story are pure cruft killing gold.<br /><br />If it's not advancing the story or integral to a character's development, it can go. No matter how cool it is, it can go. Even if it's the scene that triggered the entire concept of the story, if it's not moving the story or characters forward... it... can... go.<br /><br />Let me know what tips you have for plotting, or your thoughts on any of my definitions or methods in the comments.<br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />-Alex<br /><br /><i>This is the fifth entry in a&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html">series of posts</a>&nbsp;about my evolving writing process.</i>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-74093836474398480172015-03-14T10:45:00.002-04:002015-03-20T10:36:36.785-04:00Characters and Characterization: Who are these people?Characters are the heart and soul of any well crafted story.<br /><br />There are many people who will disagree with that statement, and they're welcome to... But they're wrong.<br /><br />Now wait a moment! Don't go away! Let me pile a few more logs on that pyre being built at my feet by explaining where I'm coming from. I mean, I put it pretty definitively up there. How could I possibly make things worse, right?<br /><br />Trust me. I'm a writer. I can <i>always</i>&nbsp;make things worse.<br /><br />What about "idea" stories? What about Sci-Fi or Literature stories about a place, or a technology, or some other thing? Those don't have people at their heart! They're about the idea/place/technology/other thing!<br /><br />GET THE TORCHES!!!!<br /><br />Wait! You see, characters aren't always people. They're the subjects in the story that the reader relates to. And if the story is well crafted (and sometimes even if it isn't), the characters are what the reader cares about. Whether that character is a cat, a tree, a car, or an asteroid, if the writer has done their job, you'll care about it and it will help immerse you in the story.<br /><br />But that's an overly complicated way of looking at things, so let's get back to people (if you want, you can consider anthropomorphized <i>things</i>&nbsp;as people from here on out).<br /><br />Where you fit on the spectrum between plotter or pantser will likely shape how you grow your characters. I fall somewhere in the middle, so my process might be a little muddled. But from one writer to another: You don't have to colour inside the lines. Do whatever works <i>for you</i>.<br /><br />Some writers like to figure out their characters as they go along, then fix inconsistencies in revision. Some writers like to know every detail about their characters before the first word hits the page, creating detailed&nbsp;<a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/character_sheets">character sheets</a>&nbsp;(I use the one in <a href="http://literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener</a>&nbsp;to get started).<br /><br />Whatever your method, I've found it's best to keep track of any changes or major decisions about the character as you go. It stops you from contradicting yourself or giving a character rainbow-coloured eyes (unless they're supposed to <i>have</i>&nbsp;rainbow-coloured eyes...).<br /><br />Aside from physical description, you should have a number of other important factors sorted out for your characters. How are they going to grow and change through the story?<br /><br />It's completely fine if you don't have a character all figured out <i>before</i>&nbsp;you write your first draft. But you had best have them nailed down by the time you finish that draft, or revisions aren't going to help.<br /><br /><b>Motivation</b><br />Your character needs goals. Big ones. Small ones. Ones with polka-dots. Every character needs motivations of their own. And not just one. At no point should a character's sole motivation be "help the protagonist". That, my friends, is a cardboard cut-out, not a character.<br /><br />Ask yourself: What makes your character tick? What do they want? In a revenge plot it can seem pretty simple... Revenge! In a horror plot... Survival! In a murder mystery... To Catch the Killer! In a bee-keeper memoir... Honey!<br /><br />But is that all? I hope not. It shouldn't be. That isn't enough. See that cardboard cut-out I mentioned before? It's waving. No... don't wave back. It's cardboard...<br /><br />Let's look at our revenge plot for a brief moment.<br />Bruce Lonerman's a solitary road warrior. His one true love, Hilda, his 1984 Ford Tempo, was crushed by the villains at BadEvilCorp™ who were jealous of his cherry ride, and he'll stop at nothing until he gets his REVENGE!<br /><br />Great! We have a primary motivation: Protagonist's true love snatched away and destroyed by the antagonist!<br /><br />But wait! There's more!<br />Our hero Bruce has to get to BadEvilCorp™ and it's all the way across town... and he doesn't have Hilda to do it. He <i>needs</i>&nbsp;a ride... Perhaps he can borrow his best friend Beth's Vespa GTS 300?<br /><br />Ding! That's more motivation. Granted, it's short term, but it's there.<br /><br />If you want a compelling character, always look for more layers of motivation. What do they want immediately? What do they want generally? What do they want <i>after?</i>&nbsp;What are the little things? What are their ideals that seem too big?<br /><br />What's stopping them? Conflict is key. Resolution of conflict builds character.<br /><br /><b>Internal Contradictions</b><br />Have you ever met another human being? Ever been one yourself? If not, then this next bit may not make much sense to you.<br /><br />People contradict themselves. I don't just mean hypocrites, they're just better at doing it more noticeably. We're all FULL of contradictions. They're what make us unpredictable and oh-so-hard to model artificially. Thankfully we writers aren't trying to build a positronic brain (not a real one anyway).<br /><br />All of your character's internal contradictions don't need to be on the page or highlighted in some way. But you <i>should</i>&nbsp;know that they exist. What <i>should</i>&nbsp;be on the page are the contradictions that <i>define</i>&nbsp;your character.<br /><br />Back to Bruce.<br /><br /><ul><li>He's a solitary sort, but he has a best friend named Beth.</li><li>He also has a cat.</li><li>He hates the rising price of gas, which is something he wouldn't have had to deal with without his love for Hilda. He mildly resented Hilda for her reliance on fossil fuels.</li><li>He feels guilty for his resentment of Hilda.</li><li>His guilt and regret help fuel his thirst for revenge.</li><li>He really enjoys the open air and low cost of Beth's Vespa</li></ul><br />And so on (and that's just from what I've written so far). Contradictions are what make a character not be a caricature. No real person is a set of absolutes, your fictional people shouldn't be either.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Something to Hide</b><br />We all have secrets. Whether it's something in our past or present. Something about the way we think and deal with the world. A desire we can't express. A conviction we outwardly hold and espouse and inwardly question. The secrets we keep from ourselves because we don't like what they say about us.<br /><br />We all have <i>something</i>&nbsp;we hide that we think (rightfully or wrongfully) would change where we stand in society were it ever to be known.<br /><br />Those are the big secrets. We all have them. We're all afraid of them. Your characters should have them too. They can add a layer of motivation and internal contradiction (oooh, more layers).<br /><br />Then there's the little secrets. The casual lie. The false smile. The discomfort. The small self-contradictions that we're painfully aware of and don't let others see.<br /><br />Every secret about your characters&nbsp;<i>doesn't</i>&nbsp;need to be earth-shattering (how does one shatter earth? Do you have to flash-freeze it first? Otherwise it sort of just... crumbles...). You don't have to include <i>your own</i>&nbsp;secrets within your characters (that'd be silly). But they <i>do</i>&nbsp;need to have secrets.<br /><br />The best place you can dig in for a greater understanding of how secrets have an effect on behaviour is within you. Careful and thoughtful self-examination of your secrets and how you react to anything even slightly related, or even unrelated to them is a great place to start.<br /><br />Our dear character Bruce has secrets.<br /><br /><ul><li>He's in love with Beth's Vespa, they've had an on-again off-again thing going for months</li><li>He never took a driver's test</li><li>His real name isn't Bruce Lonerman, it's Bob Smith, but that didn't seem "actiony" enough</li><li>He doesn't own a cat. He's cat-sitting.</li><li>He's really an alien writing an entry on Earth for an interstellar travel guide</li></ul><br /><br /><b>Nobody is Perfect</b><br />Ok. Except you. No... not <i>you</i>, the person beside you. Yes.<br /><br />Perfect characters are <i>boring</i>. That's where the terms Mary Sue, and Wish Fulfillment come from. Characters written so perfect or flawless that they <i>can't</i>&nbsp;be real.<br /><br />Flaws can range from emotional to physical. They can be as little as nail chewing, or as big as being a psychopath who works as a blood spatter expert by day and a vigilante by night. They can be out in the open for the world to see, or a tightly held secret. They can feed ego or insecurity. Flaws add nuance and depth.<br /><br />Your character could be ambidextrous, but unable to tie their shoes or button their shirt without getting them misaligned at least twice. They could suck at metaphors (or similes). They could be a kleptomaniac, or a compulsive liar, or painfully blunt.<br /><br />Flaws are what make a character an individual. The <i>best</i>&nbsp;flaws are the ones that run against your character's goals and motivations. Over the course of the story your character can grow and overcome some flaws, but they <i>shouldn't</i> overcome them all, especially if they're a defining flaw.<br /><br />I won't add any flaws to Bruce at the moment, but you can see how some of the above would shape him into a different person and make him seem less wooden and contrived (OK, maybe dear Bruce isn't the greatest example).<br /><br />All of the above will add depth to your characters and work together in layers. And if you want to do it right, you have to apply them to <i>all</i>&nbsp;your characters, not just your protagonist. Secondary characters (ones you don't get inside the head of that the protagonist interacts with regularly), and tertiary characters (ones who are big enough to warrant a name and a few lines of speech), all need at least a high pass for motivation.<br /><br />And all characters, regardless of age, gender, or which side of the story they're on (protagonist vs. antagonist) deserve the same level of effort at adding depth.<br /><br />Beyond that, your characters should <i>never</i>&nbsp;bend to the plot. Bad books and movies are full of characters who do incredibly stupid an unlikely things in service of the plot. If a character <i>wouldn't</i>&nbsp;do something, don't make them. Fix the story and find another way. It's a painful process, I know, I've been going through it myself with my current project, but it's a necessary exercise.<br /><br />No one said this writing thing was easy.<br /><br />Let me know what you think down in the comments!<br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />-Alex<br /><br /><i>This is the fourth entry in a&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html">series of posts</a>&nbsp;about my evolving writing process.</i>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-48990957545627435982015-03-06T15:27:00.000-05:002015-03-20T10:36:19.578-04:00Brainstorming: Building on The IdeaLet's pretend you have <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-idea-something-from-nothing.html">an idea</a>. Don't be alarmed! It happens to the best of us.<br /><br />Walk it off.<br /><br />As I've pointed out before, sometimes you can't shake the idea off. It sticks to you. It won't go away. It keeps you up at night, like a dryer that squeals because it's lost that little felt ring that stops the metal drum from rubbing against the housing as it goes around and around and around squeaking and squealing intermittently until you jUSt cAn'T TAkE iT aNy mO.... ahem.<br /><br />So. There's that. What do you do with the idea once you have it and it won't go away? What if, and this is a big if, What if you <i>like</i>&nbsp;the idea? As in, cute little kitten or puppy "like" the idea?&nbsp;I've found one of the best things to do in that case is to hide around a corner until it sticks out it's little head and then BASH IT IN with a crowbar!<br /><br />The idea!!!! Not the puppy or kitten!!! NEVER the puppy or kitten!!!! You MONSTER!!!!<br /><br />Now that you've subdued the idea, it's time to shape it into what you want it to be. Whether that's a soul-stretching, heart-wrenching, teary-eyed horror novel, or a pulse-pounding, hair-raising, can't-sleep-without-the-lights-on romance comedy, or any other sort of compound-modifying hyphenated-verbing, run-on-sentencing goodness... is entirely up to you. It's <i>your</i>&nbsp;idea to inflict upon the world.<br /><br />Let's dig into the meat on how you could go about the exercise of expanding and improving on that idea.<br /><br />To be fair, some of these processes will work better for Outliners than they will for Pantsers. Others <i>should</i>&nbsp;work just as well for anyone. I'm not covering how to build your entire story, only how to go about brainstorming a single idea. Of course, that idea could be a character, plot point, scene, world, what have you.<br /><br />The key to story brainstorming is to ask questions, and then keep on asking questions. The same principle questions we were all taught in Primary School. <b>Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.</b>&nbsp;Take your idea and expand it by asking those questions. As for where you get the answers, there are a few avenues you can take. In all cases though, you should always consider looking past the first and obvious answer for a deeper, less expected answer.<br /><br />And <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-tools-i-mis-use.html">make notes</a> (while you brainstorm, not while you read this post... unless you want to)! This is where I usually break out <a href="http://literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php">Scapple</a> if I have my MacBook, or <a href="http://keep.google.com/">Google Keep</a> if all I have is my phone.<br /><br /><b>Research</b><br />I used to think research was boring. Ok. In so many cases it still is. However! I've found that researching a topic that I'm genuinely interested in can be exciting. So much so that I've lost entire weeks worth of writing time digging into actual, real-live history research! I passed history in high-school with a 51%, exactly what I needed to <i>never do it again!</i><br /><br />That said, history isn't the only subject you can research. There's plenty of science, psychology, economics, and <i>so many</i>&nbsp;other things. I urge you to find <b>reputable</b>&nbsp;sources of information for any research you do. It's great to dig into something on the black hole that is <a href="http://wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a>, but make sure you source anything you intend to use. I'm not saying you need to put a bibliography at the end of your work (ugh). Just be warned that if you <i>do</i>&nbsp;put something that is both real and inaccurate into your story, people will call you on it.<br /><br />Remember to take whatever you find and expand upon it even further by asking the principle questions, not only for how they fit the subject of the research, but for how it fits into your story.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Discussion</b><br />It never hurts to talk it out. I use this one <i>all</i>&nbsp;the time. My wife and kids hear about sticking points and ideas in my stories constantly. Often they don't even have to respond. Simply throwing it at them seems to help. That said, no one will find gaps or flaws you need to fix in an idea faster than someone who doesn't have a whole lot of context.<br /><br />Try it. If they're paying attention, I guarantee no matter how much you explain it, they'll have some of those principle questions at the end. Those questions can be the grease that keeps your wheels turning.<br /><br />A small caveat: One experiment I've tried that you may, or may not, want to avoid is picking a subject of debate and choosing a fixed and intentionally contrary point of view to present to people. Without proper framing and context, this can lead to some very heated arguments (which can still be good). Chances are you want the person you're discussing your idea with to still talk to you afterward.<br /><br /><b>Theft</b><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-idea-something-from-nothing.html">Last week</a>&nbsp;I covered some methods of kick-starting your idea engine (oooh, idea engines... sounds cool! I'm going to write that down). One of those methods involved&nbsp;<i>theft</i>.&nbsp;Theft is a fantastic way to expand upon an idea, but here you have to be careful, especially if you <i>stole</i> the idea in the first place. But as I always say: A little larceny is good for the soul. So let's work with theft.<br /><br />You've got your idea. Find things that have something similar to that idea in it. If you stole the idea and you <i>aren't</i>&nbsp;intending to write fan fiction (and there's NOTHING wrong with writing fan fiction, it's a great way to exercise your writerly muscles), you should really look for similarities in something unrelated to your original source.<br /><br />That doesn't mean you <i>can't</i>&nbsp;use the same source, but you're only making your work harder on yourself than it has to be. Oh! And comic books or adaptations/sources count as the SAME source, so <i>no</i>&nbsp;you can't claim that the Serenity comics are a different source than Firefly or the Serenity movie.<br /><br />So, once you've found your source, dig in. Ingest a bunch of it, just like you did for finding the idea. Unlike that searching process, take notes on the ideas and tropes that flow through it. But try to stick to the points that directly relate to your idea, you don't want to steal more than you have to, or you're going to let someone else build your playground for you. You don't want that for an original work.<br /><br />Then walk away from it and try to think of&nbsp;<i>everything</i>&nbsp;you loved and hated about it and write it down, but in this try to be non-specific.<br /><br />For example: I've been watching a lot of Buffy and Angel on Netflix lately (I'm not justifying that here, Whedon is a master!). Taking the idea of "My main character is a monster hunter." my following lists could work for one or both.<br /><br />Loved:<br />Tight-knit group of friends<br />Witty banter<br />Kick-ass fights (yes, they're cheesy, but fun)<br />Protagonist who just wants to be normal fighting against insurmountable odds<br />Real-life complications<br /><br />Hated:<br />Chosen one<br />Destiny/Fate overtones<br />Whiny protagonist<br />Dumb predictable villains<br />Same old monsters<br /><br />From that I get some pretty nice launching points that come back to the principle questions.<br /><br /><ul><li>Who are their friends?</li><ul><li>Where did they meet?</li><li>Do their friends know what they do?</li><li>What sort of conflict do these friendships create for the protagonist?</li><li>What do they talk about?</li></ul><li>How do they fight?&nbsp;</li><ul><li>Where did they learn to fight?</li><li>Are they <i>good</i>&nbsp;at fighting?</li></ul><li>What do they want to do with their life if it's not fighting monsters?</li><ul><li>What sort of hobbies do they have?</li></ul><li>If they're not a "chosen one" how did they end up a monster hunter?</li><ul><li>Why do they do it?</li><li>Why don't they stop?</li></ul><li>What kind of monsters <i>are</i>&nbsp;they fighting?</li><ul><li>What special methods are needed to fight those monsters?</li><li>Are they killing the monsters or trapping them?</li><li>What do they do with them once they're killed/caught?</li></ul></ul><br />And so on.<br /><br />Last but not least...<br /><br /><b>Blending</b><br />This is one of my personal favourites. Take two ideas from wherever it is you hide them, and mash them together to see how they taste. Without such a genius method of creation we wouldn't have the wonders of <a href="http://www.ashers.com/the-original-dark-chocolate-covered-pretzel.html">Dark Chocolate covered Pretzels</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinobot">Dinobots</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/">Firefly</a>, <a href="http://www.starwars.com/">Star Wars</a>, or <a href="http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/alera">Jim Butcher's Codex Alera</a>.<br /><br />The ideas don't even need to be similar to be made into something fantastic. The total can absolutely be greater than the sum of its parts. It may take some work to get two (or more) things to fit together, and all things likely <i>won't</i>&nbsp;fit together without getting a little bit creative. But you're a writer. That's what you do.<br /><br />I use some or all of the above methods to build on things before I start writing, while I'm writing, and sometimes just for fun. Whatever methods you use, always chase the answers deeper. That's how you make a unique and compelling story.<br /><br />Let me know what methods you use to expand upon your ideas down in the comments.<br /><br />-Alex<br /><br /><i>This is the third entry in a&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html">series of posts</a>&nbsp;about my evolving writing process.</i>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-87148631951802758882015-02-27T21:26:00.002-05:002015-03-20T10:35:48.935-04:00The Idea: Something from nothing.It all starts with an idea. For me that means it can be a character, a scene, a theme, a line of dialog. You name it. That idea can be just about anything and can occur at any time. Which means it's usually in the shower, or while I'm driving, or in the wee hours of the morning when I'm supposed to be sleeping.<br /><br />That idea is like a piece of sand caught by a clam... except I don't want to be a clam... how about the piece of grit at the heart of a raindrop... no, again, starting with dirt. It's like a random beautiful word, found in the heart of a dictionary, or one of those "word of the day" calendars... wow... NERD ALERT!<br /><br />Anyway, it nags at me and needs me to do SOMETHING about it. So I'll turn it over in my head until I can write it down (where or how I write it down is very dependant on where I am and what I have available, see <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-tools-i-mis-use.html">The tools I (mis)use</a>).<br /><br />Ok, so not all ideas are like that, but after it's written down I have one of two choices, dig into it now, or shelve it for later. The deciding factor is <i>supposed</i>&nbsp;to be whether or not I'm in the middle of writing something else. What it often ends up actually <i>being</i>&nbsp;is whether or not I can find some way to fit it into what I'm writing.<br /><br />That's a key thing for me with "the idea". It doesn't wait for a decent time to show up. It doesn't wait for me to be sitting idly, daydreaming and wondering "What should I do next?". No. The idea is the drunken friend that calls me in the middle of the night, or shows up wearing nothing but a bathrobe and 3 days of unshaven, unwashed growth on their face smelling of stale beer and old cheese. The idea is inconsiderate of what I'm doing. It doesn't care whether or not <i>now</i>&nbsp;is a good time.<br /><br />Basically, ideas are bastards. But they're&nbsp;<i>my</i>&nbsp;bastards, and I'll take them whenever and wherever they show up. Which is to say, often. I'll take them often. Because they never stop coming.<br /><br />I'm never one to want for ideas. Writers block as it's depicted in movies and TV will likely <i>never</i>&nbsp;be my problem. Staying on track and moving forward with a single project to completion <i>is</i>... and not getting too caught up on my own insecurities <i>is</i>... but those are other stories.<br /><br />However, if you're someone who struggles with finding an idea, there are a number of solutions. Want some suggestions?<br /><br /><b>Boredom!</b><br />You'd be amazed what going unplugged or simply letting your mind wander can do. Go primitive for a bit. No Twitter. No Facebook. No Wikipedia/Youtube/Tumblr black holes. Walk away from whatever is on those screens and get BORED. Let your mind wander. You'd be amazed what you can come up with.<br /><br />Another option?<br /><b>Theft!</b><br />It worked for Shakespeare! Even Star Wars (the original trilogy) is largely stolen from The Seven Samurai (which itself is based loosely on Japanese folklore), which of course also spawned The Magnificent Seven and about a bajillion other stories. Retellings are EVERYWHERE, and how obvious they are all depends on how good of a job the writer performing the retelling does at filing off the serial numbers and making it their own.<br /><br />Chuck Palahniuk claims that Fight Club (the book) is a retelling of The Great Gatsby, and as someone who's read both, I certainly couldn't tell.<br /><br />The key point to stealing an idea is to make it your own. Steal just the idea, not the <i>entire</i>&nbsp;plot, or cast of characters, or setting. You can steal the nuances of all of them to one degree or another, but the more you twist the original into your own thing, the better it will be for both you as a writer, and for your audience. But that's getting into brainstorming.<br /><br />The last suggestion?<br /><b>What if?</b><br />Simply put, take a situation, or technology, or existing story and ask the question What if...? I LOVED Marvel's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_What_If_issues">What If? comics</a> growing up. They took my favourite superheroes and asked often ridiculous questions. What if Spider-Man was more spider than man? What if certain heroes had been villains? etc. Many of their "What if?" scenarios intrigued them so much that they eventually became Marvel canon (Bruce Banner's brain in the Hulk's body...).<br /><br />There are a few ways to go about this yourself. A technique I'd recommend, is to ingest a lot of information about something. Whether it's by reading a bunch of books (fiction or non-fiction), digging into some articles about new tech, binge watching a TV series, or reading an entire comic book run.<br /><br />Whatever you do, just pack in a bunch of&nbsp;<i>something</i>&nbsp;if you can. Then ask the question: What if?<br />What if the heroes lost?<br />What if this technology was exploited for the best possible reasons?<br />What if this technology was exploited for the worst possible reasons?<br />What if this technology/product/cure was extremely effective/ineffective cheap/expensive safe/dangerous?<br />What if the government had made this ruling?<br />What if Indiana Jones had been a woman?<br />What if the radioactive spider had bitten <a href="http://marvel.com/comics/issue/52521/spider-gwen_2015_1">Gwen Stacey</a> instead of Peter Parker?<br />What if the <a href="http://www.dawnofapes.com/">apes</a>/spiders/<a href="https://www.google.ca/search?site=imghp&amp;tbm=isch&amp;source=hp&amp;biw=1272&amp;bih=709&amp;q=cat+memes&amp;oq=cat+memes&amp;gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.5800.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0.msedr...0...1ac..62.img..0.0.0.7O0y-U_WnEo">cats</a>/tree frogs tried to rise up and take over the world?<br /><br />Some of the BEST stories come out of that simple question. And it's a question you should continue to ask throughout the writing and revision process.<br /><br />These are by <i>no means</i>&nbsp;the ONLY methods of generating ideas. They're just a starting point. But, you get the idea...<br /><br />What are your techniques for generating ideas? Let me know in the comments.<br /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />- Alex<br /><br /><i>This is the second entry in a&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html">series of posts</a>&nbsp;about my evolving writing process.</i>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-15252399695557721892015-02-20T21:33:00.000-05:002015-03-20T10:35:19.446-04:00The Tools I (mis-)UseI'm kicking things off by laying the groundwork. These are the tools that I currently (mis-)use to go from idea nugget to final draft (well, as final as I've made it so far). I may come back and update this post in the future, if/when I do I'll be sure to highlight any changes and why they've occurred.<br /><br /><b><u>Software:</u></b><br /><a href="http://literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php">Scrivener 2</a><br />I first started using Scrivener for NaNoWriMo. I'd seen a web demo of it as part of the NaNo prep and instantly fell in love with ONE feature, the full-screen "Compose" view that I still use to this day. <a href="http://literatureandlatte.com/">Literature and Latte</a> often (if not always) provide a free NaNo demo version and a hefty discount on the full version as one of the NaNo rewards.<br /><br />What "Compose" does is put you one on one with your words. It clears away all the other parts of the UI (except any floating Scrivener windows you pull up such as Project Targets). It was <i>exactly&nbsp;</i>what I needed to be able to concentrate on getting words down.<br /><br />Since that fateful November I've come to use more of Scrivener's features such as labels, notes, synopsis cards, the binder, text statistics (including a handy word frequency chart), and its more than robust compiler that lets me turn my MS into various other formats (epub, mobi, docx, rtf, etc.).<br /><br />There's so much more to this software that I haven't even begun to experiment with, but working without the tools that I use already would seriously hamper how quickly I write (which still isn't fast enough).<br /><br /><a href="http://literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php">Scapple</a><br />Another Literature and Latte product, I've replaced my previous mind-mapping/whiteboard software with Scapple because of some of its integration with Scrivener 2.<br /><br />Scapple, while simpler than other mind-mapping software, provides me with all the features I need, which is a very basic free-form mind-mapping software that I can drop text, documents, and images into.<br /><br />&nbsp;I use it for outlining, detailing scenes, and connecting plot-points and characters during my brainstorming sessions. It also does a great job of making confusing and busy-looking spider-webs of text that scare people away when I'm working on them... but that has more to do with my (dis)organizational methods than the software itself.<br /><br /><a href="http://keep.google.com/">Google Keep</a><br />I'm an Android user, plain and simple. I prefer Android phones and tablets to iOS. In that vein, when I went looking for a light-weight note-taking app that allowed me to fire off quick cloud-based notes from a browser or app, using a keyboard or voice dictation (with both an audio recording and passable speech-to-text), Google Keep was exactly what I needed.<br /><br />Instead of carrying a trendy little Moleskin notebook in an oversized pocket or an equally trendy satchel carrier bag, I can simply carry my phone. Which I can shout at in the car. It doesn't look <i>that</i>&nbsp;crazy.<br /><br />Google Keep also syncs it across all my various devices (yay cloud) so I don't have to go searching for whatever device I made the notes on.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.apple.com/mac/pages/">Apple Pages</a><br />Like Microsoft Word, Apple Pages is a fairly full-featured word processor that's available on my iPad Air 2 and MacBook Pro.<br /><br />With the addition of Handoff, a Mac OSX 10.10/iOS8 real-time file-in-progress push between the two, and I can start writing on one device and immediately pick it up on another. Throw in that Apple made it free on both platforms (with the latest OS updates) and I was sold.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/word">Microsoft Word</a><br />Word is what I grew up on and use on a daily basis in <i>the day job</i>. When it comes to&nbsp;revising and reviewing feedback and markup Word is still where I'm comfortable and I know the formatting won't be screwed up when I send the files to other Word users. Someday Word <i>may</i> fall off this list, but for now it has a pretty comfortable and safe spot.<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.dropbox.com/">Dropbox</a><br />A life-saver. Combining Dropbox, which is a cloud-storage service, with Scrivener and almost all the rest of these tools, means I can work practically anywhere with any device. It also gives me the peace of mind I need, knowing that not only is my data backed up, but if I somehow corrupt or otherwise blow up my MS I can restore a previous version.<br /><br />On top of those benefits, unlike certain other cloud storage services, Dropbox leaves and updates local copies to my various machines, so in the event that the internet isn't accessible I can still get my work done.<br /><br /><a href="http://tiddlywiki.com/">TiddlyWiki</a><br />This is the latest addition to this list. TiddlyWiki is a local (or online) light weight personal wiki. I picked it up when I started working on the sequel to Crow's Blood, and it's a <i>far</i>&nbsp;superior method of tracking semi-important details consistent (character descriptions, magic systems, fictional history, place descriptions, etc.).&nbsp;Because keeping all your details straight is important for some reason.<br /><br />As with any wiki language, there's a bit of a learning curve to get going, but TiddlyWiki keeps it easier than some of the other ones I tried, while offering a robust enough base to do what I need.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter</a><br />Twitter gets an honourable mention because it's an integral part of what stops me from losing my mind or running in circles of self-doubt. Writing is, by nature, a solitary craft. Twitter lets me find and chat with a community of writers at all stages of the process for support and conversation.</div><div><br /></div><b><u>Hardware:</u></b><br /><a href="http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/">MacBook Pro</a><br />My MacBook Pro is my workhorse! I love the keyboard because typing on it is effortless. There's no "clack" (which I know some people love) and the resistance is <i>just right</i>. Then there's the&nbsp;trackpad, which is something you'd think one of the myriad of OEM's in the laptop space would have come close to, but they haven't. It's true what they say once you go Mac you never go back...<br /><br />Unless it's for games, but even then you can't find better laptop hardware to run Windows...<br /><br /><a href="http://motorola.com/motox">Moto X</a><br />As I said earlier, I'm an Android user, and this is my phone (one of them anyway). The dedicated voice processing unit built into this phone does WONDERS for taking dictation in my overly noisy commute.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad-air-2/">iPad Air 2</a> with my <a href="http://support.logitech.com/product/ultrathin-keyboard-cover">Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard</a><br />Wait... what? Didn't I say I was an Android user? Well... I am. My "play" tablet is, and always will be an Android tablet (currently an Asus Transformer).<br /><br />But my iPad makes for better productivity. It's lightweight and mobile in ways that even my MacBook Pro isn't. And unlike my Android tablet, it has everything I need for writing, even its limitations play into making me more productive (here's looking at you frustrating one-task-at-a-time UI). It also has Pages which I mention above, and very few games that I want to sink a lot of time into (which means less distraction).<br /><br />It makes for interesting trips through airport security. I have to explain why I carry 2 tablets, a laptop, and 2 phones (personal and business). Every. Single. Time.<br /><br /><b><u>Other:</u></b><br />Coffee<br />Because staying awake is important.<br /><br />These are the tools I currently use in all aspects of my writing. Looking at them I'm <i>sure</i>&nbsp;there are plenty of more efficient ways to do what needs to be done. Maybe someday I'll find them.<br /><br />Let me know what tools you use, or think I could put to better use, in the comments.<br /><br />- Alex<br /><br /><i>This is the first entry in a&nbsp;<a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/warning-incoming-blog-posts.html">series of posts</a>&nbsp;about my evolving writing process.</i>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-51826530258379246222015-02-19T11:51:00.001-05:002015-07-03T22:49:42.692-04:00***Warning: Incoming Blog Posts***So. Here's the deal:<br />I've been mulling and tumbling ideas for a series of blog posts around in my noggin &nbsp;for a LONG time about how&nbsp;<i>my</i>&nbsp;writing process itself is developing and changing. Both as an insight into how <i>I</i>&nbsp;do things now and how much work goes into my writing, and as a possible source of feedback.<br /><br />That's right, comments and feedback on this upcoming series of posts will be <i>greatly</i>&nbsp;appreciated. I'm looking to as much to learn and improve my craft and processes as I am to tell others about them. As much as I may play at being awesome and perfect, the truth is that I'm not.<br /><br />No, no! Stop weeping and tearing at your hair. It's true.<br /><br />You see, I've been having a bit of performance anxiety. Before Crow's Blood I'd <i>never</i>&nbsp;written a novel before.&nbsp;I was an infrequent short story writer. And people that have seen CB seem to like it. <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2014/10/a-matter-of-queries-and-representation.html">It even got me an awesome agent!</a> I'm terrified to my <i>bones</i>&nbsp;that CB2 won't live up to it. That it'll be my sophomore slump. And I don't want that (who would?).<br /><br />What that all means is that I don't <i>have</i>&nbsp;a solid process to work from. I have pieces here and there, tools that I use and have found immensely helpful, and <i>very</i> specific ways that I do certain things. I'm looking to improve on it all, and the best way to do that is to write it all out and (hopefully) get feedback.<br /><br />Topics I intend to cover (and this is by no means a static list, things may be moved around, added, or combined as I go along):<br /><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-tools-i-mis-use.html">The Tools I (mis)Use</a><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/02/the-idea-something-from-nothing.html">The Idea: Something from nothing.</a><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.com/2015/03/brainstorming-building-on-idea.html">Brainstorming: Expanding the idea.</a><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.com/2015/03/characters-and-characterization-who-are.html">Characters and Characterization: Who <i>are</i>&nbsp;these people?</a><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.com/2015/03/plot-where-are-we-going-and-why-are-we.html">Plot: Where are we going and why are we in this hand-basket?</a><br /><a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2015/07/outlining-vs-pantsing-why-choose-just.html">Outlining vs Pantsing: Why choose just one?</a><br />Worldbuilding: It's in the details.<br />RevisingAlexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-37763729044790867582015-01-08T23:58:00.000-05:002015-01-08T23:58:07.681-05:00New Year! New Look!I've been running this blog (poorly and inconsistently) for 4.5 years now. And it has had the same theme and layout from the time of that first post.<br /><br />Sure there have been little tweaks here and there, mostly with the gadgets you see to the right, and the addition of my beloved <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/p/movie-list.html">Movie List</a> and <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/p/about-me.html">About</a> pages. But let's be honest with each other. I think we've earned that at this point in our relationship (unless you're someone visiting my blog for the first time... Then: <i>AWKWARD</i>). My old theme was stale, and it really wasn't the easiest to read.<br /><br />I <i>hope</i>&nbsp;I've improved on both the look and feel, and functionality of the page. I trimmed a lot of the fat, and spent a ridiculous amount of time and effort building that little "Follow Me" gadget on the right (mostly spent in image manipulation).<br /><br />The key thing to remember is that my list of qualifications does <i>not</i>&nbsp;include "Graphic Designer", and I don't even have to pull up my resume to check. It's one of those things I just <i>know</i>&nbsp;deep down in my bones. So your feedback is more than welcome.<br /><br />How did I do? Does it look alright (especially the colours, I'm chromatically challenged)? Is it usable? Is something missing/broken/doing something completely unexpected (such as opening a cavernous maw beneath your basement stairs? Go check. I'll wait...).<br /><br />Let me know in the comments.<br /><br />P.S. I'll give you all a writing update tomorrow.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-63368855555952251962014-11-30T22:52:00.002-05:002014-11-30T22:56:43.738-05:00That does it! NaNoWriMo 2014 is a Wrap!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year I cut it closer than any other year. Instead of finishing a few days early, with bursts of productivity throughout the month and gaps where I fell behind, I kept a fairly steady pace. Plodding along (Ha! As if I just described 1,667 words a day as plodding!), until I crossed the line a few short minutes ago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's right I've done it! I won <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2014/11/a-few-quick-thoughts-on-nanowrimo.html" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> (and I got this nice little banner to prove it, because we all know miscellaneous images from the internet <i>proves</i>&nbsp;things! Oh, and the banner is a link.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/redantisocial/novels/noir-641279/stats"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6f8JlFgNw0M/VHvffJiYuSI/AAAAAAAADA0/iYBlQHKOW04/s1600/Winner-2014-Web-Banner.jpg" height="118" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now. That said, there are likely some of you that didn't participate in NaNoWriMo, or perhaps some that <i>did</i>&nbsp;participate and didn't cross the 50,000 word threshold. Well. You want to know the truth?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It <i>doesn't</i>&nbsp;matter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's right. I said it right here, and my word is <i>law</i> (on this blog anyway).&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">NaNoWriMo isn't really about writing 50,000 words in 30 days. Ok, well it is. Sort of. But not really. Nay! The point of NaNoWriMo is to (follow along with me here) <i>build good writing habits</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whether those habits are:&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">250 words a day, 7 days a week</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">500 words a day, 5 days a week</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1,667 words a day, 7 days a week</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">or Eleventy-bajillion words a day, 3 days a week</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What matters is consistency and habit, and learning deep down, that if you chip away at something a little each day you can do it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's look at what a novel is at face value, and for the sake of argument I'll throw away my usual target of ~100,000 words and go with NaNo's 50,000 words.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">50,000 is still a BIG number. There are roughly 250 words per printed page in a paperback novel. That means there are roughly 200 pages in a 50,000 word book. It's not a door stop, but we're not talking about a flimsy pamphlet either.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Starting at 0 words, putting together 50,000 of them seems nigh impossible. But, 1,667 (the daily goal of NaNoWriMo)? That's not TOO bad. I can write that in a few hours (or less if I have a <i>really</i>&nbsp;good outline and no interruptions).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After day 2? I've got a little over 3,000 words. After day 9? I've got 15,000 words. That's a BIG number right there, in a little over a week.</div><br />I likely never would have finished Crow's Blood (the idea for which came out of a NaNo novel) were it not for NaNoWriMo teaching me that chipping away at the big number with a pile of little numbers would actually get me there. I learned that I <i>could</i>&nbsp;write a full length novel.<br /><br />Now, that's not to say that this year's story is done (not by a long shot), or that the 50,000 words I've written are any good. It's a Zero-draft, chances are a lot of those words are due to be scrapped and replaced with better ones in the first revision pass (and I'll do MANY revision passes). But I find it a LOT easier to revise something that exists on the page, and it's good writing habits that get them there in the first place.<br /><br />Even if you don't cross that 50,000 word line to "win" NaNoWriMo, as long as you worked consistently toward the goal of writing your novel, and learned some of those good writing habits, you're still a winner.<br /><br />So for everyone who partook in this month of writing dangerously and developed those good writing habits&nbsp;along the way.<br /><br />Here. Have a Wordasaurus! You earned it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DLFToYc_edI/ULeMhtNJE3I/AAAAAAAAAMo/VoFlox8UZBs/s1600/Wordasaurus.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DLFToYc_edI/ULeMhtNJE3I/AAAAAAAAAMo/VoFlox8UZBs/s1600/Wordasaurus.png" height="293" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did you participate in NaNoWriMo? How did you do?</div><br />Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-39749909759311704972014-11-05T23:38:00.001-05:002014-11-05T23:38:44.194-05:00A Few Quick Thoughts on NaNoWriMoFirst, in case you've been living under a rock <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(or you're someone who follows, or is visiting this blog,&nbsp;<i>not</i> because you want to mine it for amazing little golden wisdom and insight nuggets about writing, but because you know ME personally)</span>:<br /><a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a> is National Novel Writing Month. It's a bit of a misnomer, but InNoWriMo (International Novel Writing Month) and GloNoWriMo (Global Novel Writing Month) don't roll off the tongue as nicely... scratch that, GloNoWriMo is still kind of awesome! It takes place in the month of November <i>every</i>&nbsp;year and the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days, or ~1,667 words/~6.67 manuscript pages a day.<br /><br />You don't <i>have</i>&nbsp;to be some sort of mythical "writer" beast to be able to participate. Writing isn't magical. Stories don't burst forth from our heads fully formed and flapping their leathery wings. Writing is <i>work</i>. It starts with a cool idea, or a character, or a setting, or even as little as a really awesome one-liner. From there it's a building process, one keystroke at a time.<br /><br />This is my 4th year participating, and I've reached the 50,000 word goal every year. It takes me anywhere from an hour and a bit to three hours to write 1,667 words, mostly because I have a hard time shutting my internal editor out entirely.<br /><br />I've had varied reactions to doing NaNo this year. Writer folks have all cheered me on and talked about doing it themselves (which is cool), or why they're not doing it (which is also cool). Non-Writer folks have been split. Those who don't know me as well as they should simply ask "why?", especially when they see my <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2014/10/a-matter-of-queries-and-representation.html" target="_blank">recent announcement</a>. Those who know me well know that I LOVE the challenge and dabbling in the community that shared pressure and experience brings.<br /><br />NaNoWriMo isn't about writing the next Harry Potter. It's about building good habits and reaching the stunning realization that YES, you <i>can</i>&nbsp;write a novel. 50,000 words&nbsp;is a big number. And NaNo is all about showing that it <i>is</i>&nbsp;possible to write that many words in a reasonable amount of time. It's a few hours a day, tops, for a month.<br /><br />And if you don't reach 50,000 words? Big deal! The real key, the point behind this whole exercise, is to form good writing habits. Sit your ass down in front of a keyboard, find your head-space, shut down Twitter and Facebook, close your web browser, and <i>write</i>. If you can do that consistently for 30 days then word count be damned, you win!<br /><br />A few caveats for you, my fellow writers:<br />Crossing that 50,000 word finish line on, or before, or even after the 30th feels fantastic. It's a rush! But even if you've written "The End" you are <i>not</i>&nbsp;done your novel. DO NOT QUERY! DO NOT SELF-PUBLISH! That way lies ruination and heartache!<br /><br />You see, 50,000 words&nbsp;<i>used</i>&nbsp;to be a novel. These days it's a Novella, with the actual word count of a novel falling somewhere between 60,000 words (literary works, cozy mysteries, contemporary YA, romance, etc.) to 110,000 words, which is roughly the maximum you can get away with for a debut Epic Fantasy or Science Fiction novel.<br /><br />For the sake of argument, let's say you've typed "The End", be it at the close of your 50,000 word Novella, or your 110,000 word Epic Fantasy. BOOM! That's awesome. Now, before you send it off:<br /><br />Step away from the keyboard!<br /><br />Go get a drink, or take your family/friends/self out for dinner. You deserve it! You wrote a NOVEL(LA)!!!! Don't worry, I'll be here when you get back.<br /><br />*****<br /><br />Back? Fantastic! Now that you've had time to blow off some of the endorphins that had you rocketing to the moon it's time to get real. What you have on your hands is (almost definitely)&nbsp;<i>not</i>&nbsp;ready to go out. It needs a good revision or two (or 5) to whip it into that sort of shape.<br /><br />Provided your dinner break earlier wasn't on the scale of days or weeks, you're likely going to need some distance to do it right. Not every writer does, but most of us need to get away from a story and come back to it as a bit of a stranger to be able to sort the gold from the muck. Go work on a different story, or write vignettes, or character studies. Whatever you do though:<br /><br /><b>KEEP WRITING!</b><br /><b><br /></b>I'll see you later, I have to go register GloNoWriMo.org and get some words written.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-6184344523337169532014-10-17T12:38:00.000-04:002014-10-17T12:43:58.265-04:00A Matter of Queries and RepresentationWhat a week and a half it's been!<br /><br />I apologize in advance for any meandering, poor spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors you may find in this post. I don't sleep well on a normal day (what is a&nbsp;<i>normal</i>&nbsp;day anyway?). The past 10 days my abilities to ward off restful sleep have been exceptional. This is a superpower you do NOT want.<br /><br />Before I get into my big news (and it's big, let me tell you, it's <b>BIG</b>), let me give you a bit of background.<br /><br />I don't query randomly. Every single agent that I've ever queried is someone that I genuinely think would be a great fit for both my writing and, more importantly, me. That's of course all based on the limited information I can gather by Googling, reading interviews, stalking on Twitter, and chatting them up.<br /><br />There are a LOT of fantastic agents out there, of all stripes (and spots, and paisley, and I suppose houndstooth...).<br /><br />That said, everything has to click in both directions. I have enough rejections from those same agents citing "wonderful writing/world building/characters/other words describing stories" but they just didn't "make the connection" (or some variant thereof) to wallpaper my office and some surrounding surfaces.<br /><br />They came fast and fairly consistently at first. I'd query, and then receive a rejection the next day or week.<br /><br />I went back and rewrote my base query letter (I tweaked it a little for every agent). Responses went from generic forms to personalized responses (not all of them, but some). I even had a few requests for partial submissions.<br /><br />Following that path I continue to tweak and tinker my query, all the while continuing to get further input on CROW'S BLOOD from my awesome Alpha/Beta Readers (including my wonderful wife, who put up with so MANY drafts) and Critique Partners (<a href="https://twitter.com/Colten_Hibbs" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7hP2_xz8tN8%2FUoo3cYGaXSI%2FAAAAAAAAAoE%2FESRri2BVGmE%2Fs1600%2Ftwitter.png&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" />Colten</a>,<br /><a href="https://twitter.com/RachelxRussell" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7hP2_xz8tN8%2FUoo3cYGaXSI%2FAAAAAAAAAoE%2FESRri2BVGmE%2Fs1600%2Ftwitter.png&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" />Rachel</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/CAMitchell7" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7hP2_xz8tN8%2FUoo3cYGaXSI%2FAAAAAAAAAoE%2FESRri2BVGmE%2Fs1600%2Ftwitter.png&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" />Clare</a>) and worked to make it better.<br /><br />I entered CROW'S BLOOD in contests. You know the best part about contests? The community and support that comes out of them. They're a fixed point. Everyone entering is (in theory) at the same point of their writing process and/or career as you are. They know what you're going through, they're doing it too.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/rahdieh" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7hP2_xz8tN8/Uoo3cYGaXSI/AAAAAAAAAoE/ESRri2BVGmE/s1600/twitter.png" />Renee Ahdieh</a>&nbsp;chose to mentor me in&nbsp;<img border="0" src="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7hP2_xz8tN8%2FUoo3cYGaXSI%2FAAAAAAAAAoE%2FESRri2BVGmE%2Fs1600%2Ftwitter.png&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" /><a href="https://twitter.com/brendadrake">Brenda Drake</a>'s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-wars/" target="_blank">Pitch Wars</a>. With her helpful pokes and prods I polished CROW'S BLOOD even further. Trimming out a few scenes that were so <i>necessary</i>&nbsp;in my head (I'd done so much world building to support them!) that weren't actually needed in the book. She's also a master at spotting my Shatner Commas and teaching me to identify them as well (I've removed 3 from this paragraph alone).<br /><br />Last week I got wind of an agent I really liked reading my full... MY FULL!!! Excitement warred with dread. What if he didn't like it? What if I didn't stick the landing? I wanted to scream (politely) "If you find anything drastic, I'll fix it!". But I didn't. Because I am a professional! (stop laughing!)<br /><br />I waited, and slept poorly, and waited.<br /><br />Thursday was a <i>normal</i>&nbsp;day (there's that "normal" word again). Things teetered on the edge of going oh-so-perfectly and/or blowing up spectacularly at my day job. I was packing up to go home when my phone sounded the "email in the writing mailbox" notification (it doesn't say that, but it <i>is</i> distinctive).<br /><br />It was an Offer of Representation! He wanted to have "The Call".<br /><br />I hyperventilated for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life. I had an offer! From an agent!!! I remember thinking "Ok I need to get my head on straight before I reply so I don't come off as a complete idiot..."&nbsp;I barely remember the drive home.<br /><br />After dinner (I have no idea what, or if, I ate) I painstakingly crafted my reply. It took me 35 minutes to write and edit that email.<br /><br />"I'd love to chat." (I'm paraphrasing, but that was about the level of awesome I was functioning at). We scheduled for the next morning.<br /><br />The call was awesome. I acted like a complete noob while trying to be all professional and cool. The agent in question handled the situation like I was a sane and perfectly functioning adult.<br /><br />He answered all of my questions and asked a few of his own (which I think/hope I answered). &nbsp;I let him know I had some other Fulls out and needed a week to get those settled before I signed (because it's the right thing to do), which he was completely cool with. We ended the call, and I sat there, stunned, for a good 30 minutes before reaching out to the other agents with my full.<br /><br />Here we are, a week after that call. I've badgered several agents with questions and clarifications, and I've communicated and settled everything with each and every agent that had my full, a partial, or even a query. I won't go into details on all of that here, they're not the point.<br /><br />Today, I'm proud/pleased/excited to say:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>I am now represented by&nbsp;</b><a href="http://twitter.com/LeonHusock" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7hP2_xz8tN8%2FUoo3cYGaXSI%2FAAAAAAAAAoE%2FESRri2BVGmE%2Fs1600%2Ftwitter.png&amp;container=blogger&amp;gadget=a&amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*" /></a><b><a href="http://twitter.com/LeonHusock" target="_blank">Leon Husock</a> of the <a href="http://lperkinsagency.com/" target="_blank">L. Perkins Agency</a>!</b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DHVKYzXnchQ/UM9tL4eLnII/AAAAAAAAAUo/vjx4wrlhdQg/s1600/kermit-crazy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DHVKYzXnchQ/UM9tL4eLnII/AAAAAAAAAUo/vjx4wrlhdQg/s1600/kermit-crazy.gif" height="213" width="320" /></a></div><br />P.S. Leon said to save some of my celebratory antics for when we sell CROW'S BLOOD.<br />To which I say:<br />Leon, this is nothing. When that happens, the world won't know what hit it!<br /><br />I'm going to sleep now.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-40646497664187891912014-10-08T22:07:00.000-04:002014-10-08T22:07:13.700-04:00The 777 Blog HopIn what can only be described as cold-brewed wanton and impish revenge for calling him out in my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eug7StKHlwo" target="_blank">ALS Ice Bucket Challenge</a>, <a href="http://wcoltenhibbs.blogspot.ca/2014/10/777-blog-hop-ive-been-tagged.html?m=1" target="_blank">Colten Hibbs has tagged me in the 777 Blog Hop</a>.<br /><br />Those who have been tagged have to open their current work-in-progress (WIP), and go to the 7th line of the 7th page and post the next 7 lines.<br /><br />My current work in progress is a Sci-Fi Noir Detective story I'm affectionately giving the working title "Sci-Fi Noir Detective Story". It's on it's Zero-Draft.<br /><br />If you're unfamiliar with that term Zero-Draft, it's the very first, <i>very</i>&nbsp;rough draft that's written at the beginning of any project. It'll be full of holes, notes, dead ends, incomplete arcs, crappy repetitive language, eye-bleedingly-bad punctuation and prose, and worst of all... stilted dialog!<br /><br />After spinning my wheels on some of the characterization and motivation (which will all change by the end of the Zero-Draft), I'm about ~6,500 words ( ~26 pages) into actual writing, and about 1/10th of the way through my outline.<br /><br />I'm a sparse writer, beginning with a skeletal framework and layering description on top of it, so my manuscripts tend to remain relatively spare through several revisions. Luckily, the 7 lines that this Blog Hop highlights aren't affected much.<br /><br />Without further ado:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">&nbsp;The speaker, Kats wasn’t sure whether she was Cross or Cork, let out a long breath. “Out of the ordinary? That’s Incidental territory. Those bastards wouldn’t know ordinary if it landed on their dinner table.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">The Nature’s Path, or <i>Incidentals</i> as their detractors called them, were a decades old movement that denied the benefits of genetic enhancement and error correction. They’d swelled in numbers for the first twenty years or so, then levelled off at around four percent of the population. Very few Incidentals ever held jobs higher than bottom rung maintenance positions.&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Despite their relatively similar social status, Tankers like Kats were as far removed from the Nature’s Path as it was possible to be.</blockquote>Anything in that passage is subject to change, in whole or in part. I may even remove it from my manuscript with fire and brimstone at any time of my choosing.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-4484349351797794892014-09-01T20:50:00.001-04:002014-09-01T20:50:27.398-04:00I Refuse to Aspire Any LongerTime for an untimely blog post (because that's what I do lately when I'm in the throes of writing). This will hopefully be a short one (or not, depends on whether or not I get wind-baggy. The fact that this is the second parentheses in as many sentences does not bode well for that).<br /><br />I've unceremoniously obliterated the word "Aspiring" from this blog's title. I've had enough. I refuse to "aspire" to be a writer any more. I've spent the better part of 4 years... that's right...<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">FOUR...&nbsp;</span></b><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">YEARS...</span></b><br />..."aspiring" to be a writer.<br /><br />I've written a longer-than-novel length work. Re-written it from the ground up with a new main character and a tighter plot. Revised that 6 times and pared it down. Polished it. Had it Critiqued.&nbsp;Re-polished it. Queried it. Received a mountain of rejections. Received more than a few requests for more pages. I've even sent out a few full manuscripts when they were requested. I've received rejections on those.<br /><br />More than that, I've written other stuff. I have outlines and "voice/character" vignettes written for four more books. I've written 45,000 words on one of them and 16,000 words on another. All while "aspiring" to be a writer.<br /><br /><br />Well, I quit. I'm done. No more. This "aspiring writer" thing is for chumps and I'm not going to play that game. I'm taking that ball and going home.<br /><div><br /></div>&nbsp;I have better things to do with my time.<br /><br /><br />Like being an actual <i>writer</i>. Lets get down to the point of the matter. I haven't been "aspiring" to be a writer since that first time I wrote "the end" (all in lower case, just like that) at the end of a ~140,000 word manuscript. It didn't have to be that long (it's now ~91,000 words), but it was. And I made it start to finish (not necessarily in that order).<br /><br />So it's time I got honest, not just with you, fair readers (few as you are, you're important enough to be honest with), but also to myself. I'm not "aspiring" to be a writer any more. That's not a label I can hide behind whenever someone doesn't take my writing seriously. Playing off it as some sort of self-effacing joke.<br /><br />It doesn't matter that I'm not published (yet!). It doesn't matter that I don't have an agent (yet!).<br /><br />I take my writing very seriously. This is not a hobby for me (and it's fine if it is for other people). I will continue down this path, <i>working</i>&nbsp;to improve my craft.<br /><br />I am a writer. I don't have time to aspire.<br /><br />- AlexAlexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-46523779803122688852014-07-09T13:57:00.000-04:002014-07-09T13:57:09.290-04:00The Circus Won't Have Me (I Can't Juggle).Ahem! So it's July. My last entry was in May. Glad to see I'm keeping on top of this blog thing!<br />The good news about the delay between posts is that I've been writing, and I've&nbsp;<i>learned something</i>.<br /><br />There are writers out there who can write multiple stories at the same time, and there are those who can't. At present I firmly reside in the realm of Nope! Can't do it! I've tried and it's been an ongoing disaster that I've only recently started to dig myself out of.<br /><br />Now, when I say "write" I do mean exactly that. I have no trouble writing one story and revising or outlining another. But if I try to actually write two stories at once? Catastrophe! Disaster! Calamity! Cataclysm! Armageddon! You get the picture. We're talking problems of the Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Steve Buscemi together on a rocket ship proportions.<br /><br />I've been writing an Alt History/Fantasy since October of last year. I continued working on it, albeit at a slower pace, through <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2013/12/an-open-letter-to-all-pitchwars-mentors.html" target="_blank">Pitch Madness</a>, without a hitch. I discussed where things started to get out of hand in <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2014/04/i-suck-at-writing-confession.html" target="_blank">April</a>.&nbsp;Since that time I've actually been writing fairly consistently at least 300 words a day, 5 days a week. Not a great pace, but the habit is back, and that's great.<br /><br />I've had a few incredible story ideas sneak up on me, as they tend to, while I got my groove back. That's great right? Awesome story ideas that just keep coming? What's there to complain about? Well, Writer's Block has <i>never</i>&nbsp;been a worry for me. I doubt I'll ever have a shortage of ideas. I worry more about a shortage of time. If they keep coming I may never have enough time to write them all in the manner they deserve.<br /><br />So, those incredible story ideas. Yeah. I couldn't wait. I dug into one pretty heavily (a sci-fi, a genre I love and have wanted to sink my teeth into), and it <i>consumed</i>&nbsp;me. I wrote a barebones outline, then dug into a few test scenes and character spots. I really love the feel and scope of it. I was really rolling with it, at least until I hit the first plot hole in the outline.<br /><br />I can handle that just fine normally by digging in and getting my hands dirty in the muck. But I had another story sitting around 40K words in that I could just jump over to and work on right? Lots of writers do it! It couldn't be that hard... What's the worst that could happen?<br /><br />Well. I can tell you what the worst that could happen was: I'd lost the feel of the Alt History/Fantasy and couldn't keep the headspace required for the sci-fi and a new cast of vastly different characters. I hit a hard wall and lost momentum on TWO stories.<br /><br />&nbsp;It was a long slow road to sort myself out. I went back to the beginning of the story and worked through what I'd written from the start. Performing a mini-revision on a third of a story isn't something I ever wanted to do (especially considering the mental anguish dwelling on my early drafts causes me), but it was exactly what I needed.<br /><br />So, for the time being I'm writing exclusively on the Alt History/Fantasy and only jotting outline notes on anything else.<br /><br />I know writing multiple stories at once is certainly possible, and I might be able to do it someday. I'm nowhere near there yet.<br /><br />Lesson learned.<br /><br />- AlexAlexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-63895448071016449732014-05-02T12:33:00.000-04:002014-05-12T14:06:51.297-04:00The Writer's Voice 2014The inimitable&nbsp;<a href="http://twitter.com/brendadrake" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7hP2_xz8tN8/Uoo3cYGaXSI/AAAAAAAAAoE/ESRri2BVGmE/s1600/twitter.png" />Brenda Drake</a>&nbsp;is running another contest called <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/04/announcing-writers-voice-2/" target="_blank">The Writer's Voice</a>.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/05/writers-voice-submission-window-now-open/" target="_blank">I entered the Rafflecopter.</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RedAntisocial/status/461878728759705600" target="_blank">I sang to it.</a> <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/05/writers-voice-winners/" target="_blank">And I got selected.</a><br /><br />Without further ado, here's my entry:<br /><br /><b><span style="color: orange;">Query</span></b><br /><br /><div class="p1">Dear Writer's Voice,</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Ren is the best thief in the walled realm of Lenmar. Which is no small feat when everyone from the queen to the lowliest peasant has some level of magical ability—everyone except Ren, that is.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Instead, Ren has the rare ability to identify the kind of magic wielded by others. Given his chosen profession, this should be a boon . . . especially since everything worth stealing is protected by spells and bindings.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Yet, he’d trade it in a heartbeat to be normal.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">When one of the realm’s most powerful noblewomen is murdered in ritualistic fashion and no trace of the killer’s magic can be found, Ren becomes the prime suspect. Hunted by magic-eating Inquisitors and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Ren’s life becomes one of flight and fear in a battle to prove his innocence.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">If Ren wants to clear his name and protect the people he cares about, he’ll have to catch the real killer. To do that, he needs to pull one more high-stakes heist—</div><div class="p1">And steal the proof he needs from the very people who want to catch him.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Complete at 90,000 words, CROW’S BLOOD is a Fantasy Thriller in the vein of Robin Hood. With dementors. It is a standalone with series potential.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Thank you for your time and consideration.</div><div class="p1">Sincerely,</div><br /><div class="p1">Alex Pierce</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><b><span style="color: orange;">First 250 Words</span></b></div><div class="p1"><b><br /></b></div><div class="p1">A sharp crack echoed in the silence. Ren winced. Without special tools or a talent for Fire to heat the lead around the pane, breaking in this way couldn't be done quietly. He had neither, and that much heat might set off the binding sigils and raise the alarm. Besides, it seemed louder than it actually was. He'd tested.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">He lifted the segment of colored glass and settled it to one side, leaving a gap a scene depicting the Goddess and her four Scions holding the Adversary at bay. No hordes of guards or swarms of librarians boiled out of the hole. So far, so good.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">A shaft of the Other's pale moonlight lit a small circle on the intricate mosaic near the center of the floor far below.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">To Ren, it said something about the Praetorian Order. They lavishly decorated their inner sanctum—where select few ever went—while leaving their public libraries grim and barren. Stealing from them was less than they deserved.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">He had a job to do.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">The silken black rope uncoiled into the opening with a whisper. Ren swept his satchel so it hung behind him and sprung into the gap, dropping along the rope's length.&nbsp;</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1">He ignored the butterflies in his stomach and their vain attempt at flapping to slow his descent. Catching the rope at the last possible moment, Ren guided it with his hands and wrapped his legs around it, halting his free-fall.</div><div class="p2"><br /></div><div class="p1"></div><div class="p1">Righting himself, Ren touched down into the silence with a flourish and a bow.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1"><br /></div>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-25037405444591090482014-04-27T22:32:00.003-04:002014-04-27T22:39:55.853-04:00I Suck at Writing: A Confession<b><span style="color: yellow;">I suck at writing.</span></b>&nbsp;I don't mean my prose, or my descriptions, or my characterizations (though I'm sure to be lacking in a number of those areas).<br /><br />I mean in my work ethic.<br /><br />I haven't written a single word of <i>real</i>&nbsp;writing in ~8 weeks.<br /><br />There are all sorts of excuses I could line up, between my day-job workload, to travelling, to any number of things. None of them are truly valid to the writer in me. I've had all those things going on before and I soldiered through and got the words down. &nbsp;Hell, some of my most productive times have been when my day-job was demanding 12-16 hours of my life per day.<br /><br />So what have I done? Well, let's see. I've read a BUNCH of books. I sort of caught up on some of the TV I've recorded. I've <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/p/movie-list.html" target="_blank">seen a few movies in theatres</a> (and really enjoyed them). I've kicked some ass at <a href="http://www.zelda.com/windwaker/" target="_blank">The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD</a>. And I've spent far too much money on <a href="http://www.skylanders.com/" target="_blank">Skylanders</a>.<br /><br />Writing related? I've cycled out a few more queries on CROW'S BLOOD. Tracked through and kept up with the blogs of all the writers I know and love. And I've re-worked the outline for my historical fantasy about six times.<br /><br />Six times may seem like I've been keeping busy, but really I haven't. Not busy enough anyway. I could be doing a lot more... you know... writing.<br /><br />I've been doing some much-unneeded self-examination on what exactly my problem is. Turns out it's pretty simple:<br /><br /><b><span style="color: yellow;">I suck at writing.</span></b> This time I am talking about the prose, descriptions, and characterizations.<br /><br />I worked on CROW'S BLOOD for a LONG time. I finished the first draft in November of 2011! Never mind that I completely threw that draft and story away and re-worked the entire novel from the ground up. That's more than 2 years ago!!!<br /><br />It's been that long since I really dug in and worked on something new. The sense of accomplishment I felt at the end of every draft as the story and prose got tighter is gone, and the distance from that first clunky and painful draft is vast.<br /><br />When I look at what I've written lately (and by lately I mean before I got into my writing funk), all I can see is the warts and garbage and things that make me want to set it on fire and walk away. It's no wonder I've re-outlined the thing so many times. Outlines are safe. I can write a REALLY cool outline. Point form mind-maps don't have to be pretty.<br /><br />I've forgotten that it's OK to suck, especially on your first draft. No one has everything worked out. No one has the perfect words for every sentence. No one <i>really </i>knows&nbsp;where the commas are supposed to go!<br /><br /><b><span style="color: yellow;">I suck at writing.</span><span style="color: red;">&nbsp;</span></b>But I desperately need to remember and keep reminding myself that it's OK to suck. I'm going to keep doing it, updating my word-counts here on my blog so you can all keep score (and I can keep myself accountable).<br /><br />I need to push on and get through the first draft. That first, clunky, broken, full of holes draft. I need to finish the story. I need to tie up all the loose ends. And I really need to achieve that awesome sense of finishing something.<br /><br />You know why?<br /><br /><b><span style="color: yellow;">I'm <i>really</i> good at revision.</span></b><br /><b><br /></b>- Alex<br /><br />P.S. Have any of you ever hit that wall? Let me know how you got past it in the comments.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-19899741579009902812014-03-24T00:07:00.000-04:002014-03-24T09:35:53.699-04:00Harvester by Rachel Russel: Blog Tour Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jDGg4ZD38mw/Uy-tN6qgZhI/AAAAAAAABF0/SXUHFeNa4GY/s1600/Harvester+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jDGg4ZD38mw/Uy-tN6qgZhI/AAAAAAAABF0/SXUHFeNa4GY/s1600/Harvester+Tour+Banner.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></div><span id="goog_826795576"></span><span id="goog_826795577"></span><br /><br />As part of the Harvester Blog Tour I've had the pleasure of interviewing the wonderful Rachel Russel. Rachel Russell is published by <a href="http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/">Entranced Publishing</a>.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: red;">Alex:</span> What inspired you to write Harvester?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Rachel:</span>&nbsp;</b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">A whole lot of little things added up to inspire HARVESTER. I have a complete obsession with Sidhe faeries and human magic-users. I started thinking about ways our world would be different if a secret mage civilization existed belowground. I also took inspiration from the lore of the Gaelic people and even Shakespear’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Really, it’s hard to pinpoint anything too much. My inspiration for books usually amounts to a melting pot full of various ideas, images, songs, drawings, and so on forth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span> Catalina sounds like an interesting protagonist. Describe her in 5 words:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span>&nbsp;</b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Headstrong, passionate, short-tempered, loyal, and compassionate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;Should we expect more books in the Harvester setting and story?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>Maybe. I have a tentative idea for Book 2 and Book 3. I’m considering having Book 2 be told from Catalina’s best friend’s POV. Her name is Una and it’d pick up right where Book 1 left off. I don’t have any solid plans at the moment, though.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;Describe your writing process, are you an architect or a pantser?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>I’m an architect all the way, baby. My writing process involves me writing out a story outline, then breaking that down chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene. I fill out index cards for each scene and put them in order on a corkboard. Only once I have everything plotted out do I begin writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;Tell us about your favourite writing space. Do you have/need a specific place or are you a kitchen table/coffee shop/subway/nightclub/situation room kind of writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>My specific writing nook is basically anywhere in my house with my laptop. If I had to choose a most common writing area, it’d probably be my bedroom where it’s the quietest.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;You work in the writing/books industry, can you tell us what you do?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>I work as the Submissions Coordinator for Month9Books, and also as an Editorial Assistant. As the Submissions Coordinator, I handle sending out titles to submissions interns, gathering up their reader reports, compiling a weekly report of all submissions received for that week, and in general keeping house tidy with sending manuscripts along to the proper editor or filing folder. As an Editorial Assistant, I mainly just do copy edits, proofreading, and light formatting of manuscripts.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;Has it helped or hindered your journey? How?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>It has definitely helped. I see a ton of submissions on a weekly basis and know what’s trending, what publishers are looking for, and what editors are excited about or sick of.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;What’s next for you as a writer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>I’m going to keep working on other novels and hopefully be ready to query literary agents with something new and awesome later this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;What’s your favourite flavour of ice cream?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>Triple chocolate. I’m a firm believer that chocolate ice cream must also have bits of chocolate brownie in it. It’s the one true way to eat ice cream. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">&nbsp;If you could go back in time and tell yourself one thing, what would it be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><b>&nbsp;</b>To take my time and realize </span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">that publishing isn’t a race. Everyone’s path to publication is different and that’s all right.<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin 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font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: red;">A:</span></span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><b>&nbsp;Thank you for doing this interview!</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">R:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><b>&nbsp;</b>Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Alex! </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">&nbsp;</span></div><br /><br /><i>This blog tour runs from 17th March 2014 until 30th March 2014.</i><br /><br />You can add Harvester to your to-read list on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588776-harvester?from_search=true">Goodreads</a>.<br /><br />You can find more about Harvester on the <a href="http://www.entrancedpublishing.com/">Entranced Publishing Website</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TMnDJwwuv5g/Uy-tP64XsBI/AAAAAAAABGE/5gd-fvusCMM/s1600/Rachel+Russel+Picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TMnDJwwuv5g/Uy-tP64XsBI/AAAAAAAABGE/5gd-fvusCMM/s1600/Rachel+Russel+Picture.png" height="150" width="200" /></a><b>About the Author</b><br />Rachel is a YA author who likes dirty martinis and pickles on her pizza. Her stories tend to be either <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelxRussell" target="_blank">@RachelxRussell</a>), or playing make-believe with her two daughters.<br />horror or fantasy, or a strange amalgamation of both genres. She works at Month9Books, LLC as both the Submissions Coordinator and an Editorial Assistant. When not reading or writing, Rachel is marathoning anime, becoming one with Twitter (<br /><br />You can find and contact Rachel here:<br /><a href="http://www.rachelrussellbooks.com/">Website</a>. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Russell/144413508976741">Facebook</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelxRussell">Twitter</a>. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7304559.Rachel_Russell">Goodreads</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0GI3N3aRDJk/Uy-tNvZm1MI/AAAAAAAABF4/vGsAjf6TDwg/s1600/white+bracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0GI3N3aRDJk/Uy-tNvZm1MI/AAAAAAAABF4/vGsAjf6TDwg/s1600/white+bracelet.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a>There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Harvester.<br />Here's what you can win:<br /><br />- One white leather infinity bracelet<br />- One e-copy of Harvester<br /><br />Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win.<br /><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/320ab745/" id="rc-320ab745" rel="nofollow">Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-23341183266629776932014-03-19T21:10:00.000-04:002014-03-19T21:10:00.282-04:00The Shatner CommaAs anyone who's ever read my writing pre-revision (or even after 3-4 passes of my own) can attest: I have a serious problem with Shatner Commas.<br /><br />Let me explain first what a Shatner Comma <i>is,</i>&nbsp;and second, why I have such a problem with them.<br /><br />Shatner Comma (<i>n</i>): Improperly placed commas that serve no grammatical purpose and thwart the rules of proper punctuation. They instruct the reader to take unnatural and illogical pauses, much in the way William Shatner so famously delivered his lines in Star Trek (TOS).<br /><br />Why do I have such a problem with them? Because I was instructed (as were most people) to put commas where I would naturally pause in speech. That's right, I pause frequently and illogically in my regular everyday speech. &nbsp;In my case it isn't something I do to create a sense of drama. As best I can tell the problem traces back to my childhood stutter.<br /><br />To be clear, my stutter wasn't as horrible as in The King's Speech, and I wasn't endlessly teased for it (though I <i>was</i>&nbsp;dreadfully self-conscious about it).<br /><br />I reminisced about it recently with my grandmother and she recalled that even at the age of 7 I worked endlessly to eliminate it. I'd sit playing on her living room floor reciting and repeating any sentence or word that I'd stuttered on until I had it silky smooth, at least so far as the stutters were concerned.<br /><br />In their place came the pauses. To give my brain time to work around the hitch I think I subconsciously inserted a pause. That pause lingers to this day.<br /><br />I spent many a Saturday morning on that same floor at my grandmother's watching re-runs of Star Trek:TOS, so maybe a bit of Shatner's delayed speech and odd timing crept in as well. We'll never know.<br /><br />With the help of my Critique Partners and a LOT of hard work I'm edging towards <strike>eliminating</strike>&nbsp;reducing the Shatner Comma from my writing, but I can make no guarantees. As for the pause in my speech? It lingers to this day though I'm working to lessen it now that I'm fully aware of it. And it wasn't a cure-all for my stutter, which can still be found in diminished capacity any time I get overly excited about something.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-70074733826323246552014-03-04T01:00:00.000-05:002014-03-04T01:00:01.569-05:00Cover reveal for Harvester by Rachel Russell!Here's a slightly different blog update. I'm lucky enough to not only have Rachel Russell as a CP, but I also get to reveal the absolutely <i>beautiful</i>&nbsp;cover of her forthcoming book! I'll also follow this post up with an interview on March 24th.<br /><br />So, without further ado:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-blJVj4Yb-C8/UxScBxBQZII/AAAAAAAABCk/fQ2xgjpOU1g/s1600/Harvester-Medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-blJVj4Yb-C8/UxScBxBQZII/AAAAAAAABCk/fQ2xgjpOU1g/s1600/Harvester-Medium.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Harvester by Rachel Russell</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Genre: </b>YA Fantasy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Release Date:</b> March 17th 2014</div><br /><blockquote><br />Sixteen-year-old Catalina has never seen the sky. As a mage, it's illegal for her to leave the underground city she lives in. The sun and moon are only fantastical stories of a land far away. So when Catalina stumbles upon a tunnel leading to the surface, she can't resist the temptation to see the surface world.<br /><br />But instead of enjoying a night beneath the stars for the first time, Catalina emerges upon the scene of a savage murderer harvesting faery body parts. She's nearly his next victim, but is rescued by a grim boy named Will who has a troubling connection to the killer.<br /><br />Even more disquieting is Catalina's criminal status upon returning home. Someone with political clout has framed her for the vicious slayings. Now on the run from the law, Catalina must uncover Will's tie to the serial killing of faeries, as well as stop a bloodthirsty murderer to prove her innocence, or face a death sentence.</blockquote><br />You can add Harvester to your to-read list on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18588776-harvester?from_search=true"> Goodreads</a> <br /><br /><br /><b>Excerpt:</b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The last person caught smuggling medicine had disappeared, never to be heard from again, after Marshals whisked him away for interrogation. It wasn't a reassuring thought to have as Catalina stood in line and gnawed on the inside of her cheek. With each step she took toward the Arch, the glass vial hidden within the inside pocket of her vest grew heavier. She'd trafficked medicine into the city before, but it always felt like the first time. She supposed there were just some things you never got used to. Knowing the Arch wasn't designed to detect her precious cargo didn't stop her palms from sweating or her stomach from flip-flopping.<br /><br />"Next." A scowling guard dressed in a black trench coat with a stiff, upturned collar waved her through with an exaggerated wave of his arm, as if she'd been dawdling.<br /><br />Catalina sucked in a breath and stepped beneath the Arch. It wailed, shrill and loud, like a cat in pain. She startled, her eyes widening.<br />"Hands in the air!"<br /><em>Oh no. No, no, no</em>, Catalina thought. She held up shaking hands. <em>My luck cannot be this crappy</em>. She'd passed through the Arch dozens of times with the medicine on her and the alarm had never gone off before. Maybe it was a malfunction.<br /><br />Another guard stepped over and passed a plain, black rod over her, starting at her head and traveling down. It glowed white when it neared her vest pocket.<br /><br />Catalina's stomach bottomed out. They'd updated their equipment. For once, the law was a step ahead of her. The guard flipped open her vest and reached into the inside pocket, plucking out the vial. He held it up before his face, arching an eyebrow. Within the glass vial swirled clear liquid filled with glittering particles. The guard pulled out the stopper and sniffed.<br /><br />Catalina caught a faint waft of honeysuckle flowers.<br /><br />"It's faery elixir, all right." The guard put the stopper back on. "Take her to the interrogation room. The Marshal will want to speak with her."<br />The other guard stepped behind Catalina and twisted her arms behind her back. She needed to get out of there. If she could buck her head back hard enough to break the guard's nose, maybe<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">—</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">&nbsp;</span>Then metal pinched the tender skin of her wrists. She tried to wriggle her fingers. Her knuckles hit cool iron. He'd encased her hands in mitten handcuffs, the only sure way to keep a mage from weaving a spell. Catalina sighed. Now it really was too late.<br /><br />"Come on." The guard grabbed Catalina by the elbow and led her through a blue door off to the right.<br />Their booted steps echoed down a hallway with overhead lights so bright they whitewashed the walls and floor. Catalina squinted beneath the harsh glare. The guard led her to the end of the hallway and stopped in front of a dull door with black paint curling at the edges. Again, she was struck with the near-overpowering drive to bolt. She'd heard horror stories of Marshals using magic to strangle hearts near to bursting point till they got what information they wanted. The hinges on the door whined as the guard opened it. An empty room with a table and two chairs lay beyond. A cold chill rushed down Catalina's spine. Odd how such a sparse room could feel so menacing.<br /><br />The guard shoved her into the room. "A Marshal will be with you shortly."<br />Catalina stumbled into the room and whirled to face the guard, only to be met by the door slamming shut. A click came from the other side of the door as he locked it.<br /><br />She turned and strode to the table. "Great. 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font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;} </style><![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><br /><br /><b>About the Author:</b><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uraYTatw1Jw/UxScE4JKZ4I/AAAAAAAABCs/lFl9n1eotr0/s1600/Rachel+Russel+Picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uraYTatw1Jw/UxScE4JKZ4I/AAAAAAAABCs/lFl9n1eotr0/s1600/Rachel+Russel+Picture.png" height="150" width="200" /></a>Rachel is a YA author who likes dirty martinis and pickles on her pizza. Her stories tend to be either horror or fantasy, or a strange amalgamation of both genres. She works at Month9Books, LLC as both the Submissions Coordinator and an Editorial Assistant. When not reading or writing, Rachel is marathoning anime, becoming one with Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/RachelxRussell" target="_blank">@RachelxRussell</a>), or playing make-believe with her two daughters.<br /><br />You can find and contact Rachel here: <br />- <a href="http://www.rachelrussellbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> <br />- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Russell/144413508976741" target="_blank">Facebook</a> <br />- <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelxRussell" target="_blank">Twitter</a> <br />- <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7304559.Rachel_Russell" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-10391326956079755532014-02-17T18:46:00.001-05:002014-02-17T18:47:12.413-05:00Querying Like a MadmanApparently that's what I'm doing. Not because I'm firing off dozens of queries from my automatic query-cannon (I have one, it's got an extended magazine and a techno-gadgety scope thingy), but because I'm&nbsp;<i>not</i>&nbsp;sending out dozens.<br /><br />I'm sending five.<br /><br />Five at a time is apparently whack-a-doodle crazy numbers and I'll&nbsp;<i>"never"</i>&nbsp;get an agent that way. That's what I've been told by an anonymous <i>agented</i> third&nbsp;party (who I'll allow to remain anonymous for the sake of their um, anonymity).<br /><br />I'm not sure when querying became about simply&nbsp;<i>getting</i>&nbsp;an agent, any agent. That doesn't fit with my (possibly misguided) view of how things&nbsp;<i>should</i>&nbsp;work. Querying, to me, is about finding the&nbsp;<i>right</i>&nbsp;agent. Finding an agent that fits well with how I work, what sort of stories I want to tell, and most importantly, finding an agent for my writing&nbsp;<i>career</i>.<br /><br />It means I can't take just&nbsp;<i>any</i>&nbsp;agent. It means I have to&nbsp;<strike>stalk</strike>&nbsp;research each agent and carefully select who I query, then personalize that query to them. That takes a LOT of work on my part. It's a similar amount of effort as to what I put into building a character&nbsp;backstory&nbsp;and system of rules for the world I'll set a book in. 99.999% of that effort never touches the finished pages, but I&nbsp;<i>need</i>&nbsp;it there nonetheless.<br /><br />I can't imagine doing it any other way, I think the stress of having more than five queries out at the same time would kill me. If that makes me some sort of oddball, so be it. I'll get an agent when I do. And not just any agent, but the&nbsp;<i>right</i>&nbsp;agent.<br /><br />- AlexAlexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-49671275809747182262014-01-29T21:52:00.000-05:002014-01-29T21:52:04.374-05:00Don't Ever Stop!So... This little thing called <a href="http://redantisocial.blogspot.ca/2013/12/an-open-letter-to-all-pitchwars-mentors.html" target="_blank">PitchWars</a> happened. It's what triggered this particular post, but it's not what this post is about so I'll cover it <i>very</i>&nbsp;briefly.<br /><br />It's a contest where writers submit their first ~250 words and a Query to the four mentors of their choice and hope to get selected. In short (because I'm rubbish at being <i>brief</i>) I was selected by the Awefantabulous <a href="http://reneeahdieh.com/" target="_blank">Renee Ahdieh</a>.<br /><br />Renee is exactly what I want and more importantly&nbsp;<i>need</i>&nbsp;in a mentor. Her feedback has helped me add layers of depth to CROW'S BLOOD that I knew were missing, I just couldn't see <i>where</i>. I've learned some of my pet phrases, identified some comma issues I have, and <i>so much more</i>, and I've exterminated them with prejudice.<br /><br />Anyway!<br /><br />Seven weeks later, our part in PitchWars wrapped on January 22nd as it went to the Agent Round. The first 250 words were posted with a 35 word pitch (<a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/01/pw-33-ya-crows-blood/" target="_blank">here</a> in case you're interested), in hopes of Agents commenting and making requests.<br /><br />It's those requests that bring me to the point of this post. <b>I had 0 requests.</b> Zip. Zilch. Nada.<br /><br />Let me tell you a bit about how this little writer's ego works: I'm a brash, cocky, confident bastard. Except when I'm <i>not,&nbsp;</i>which is often. The key is that I try not to let that side show to the world at large too much. The only person who sees that side of me most often (my wife) does a great job of propping me up so I can continue being the confident bastard that I am.<br /><br />I'd be lying if I said getting zero requests didn't sting. It cut pretty deep. Those are <i>my</i> words! Right there, with that zero looking me in the eye, I could have quit. Packed it all in and reclaimed my TV and video games. I could have given up the dream and driven my wonderful wife insane.<br /><br />I could have listened to the mean voice in the back of my head that kept whispering "Zero, that's how many people give a damn about your words. That's what they're worth. That's what <i>your</i>&nbsp;worth. Give it up. Go home. <i>Loser!</i>"<br /><br />I've heard that voice before. That's the voice that comes around any time I put myself out there, whether I'm public speaking, writing, tweeting, or posting on my blog. I don't like that voice. I made the decision long ago not to listen to that voice. That voice is an asshole. The things it says aren't true and are designed to cut us where it hurts the most. That voice is borne of fear.<br /><br />We all have that voice. The difference between those who go on and those who fold isn't a matter of skill, or worth, or ego. It's a matter of will.<br /><br />So here's what I have to say, not only to those who didn't get requests in PitchWars, but to those who have ever queried, or submitted, or done <i>anything</i>&nbsp;that brought around that voice:<br /><b><br /></b><b>Don't. Ever. Stop.</b><br /><br />Do what you love, whether it's writing, drawing, dancing, singing, building <a href="http://inhabitat.com/nyc/worlds-largest-lego-model-a-massive-star-wars-x-wing-starfighter-unveiled-in-nyc/" target="_blank">life-size models of X-Wings out of Lego</a>, whatever it is, as long as you love it (and it doesn't hurt anything).<br /><br />As for PitchWars... Would I do it again? <i>In a heartbeat!</i>&nbsp;I've learned so much, and met so many wonderful, dedicated, and helpful people.<br /><br />Until next time, I'm going to go write and revise, because that's what I do, and I love doing it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me."</i> - The Bene Gesserit</span>Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7460885638200669870.post-52301692301483210582014-01-02T12:08:00.001-05:002014-01-02T12:08:38.027-05:00The Movie List (Updated)I keep a movie list on the site, ranking theatrically released movies I've seen through a calendar year. 2013 is now locked in (and there are still 2013 movies I'd like to see) and 2014's list has begun.<br /><br />Have a quick peek and let me know if I missed any major movies coming out in 2014 (that you think would fit my tastes based on the lists that are there).<br /><br />A quick note on my number 1 movie of 2013: Pacific Rim<br />It wasn't the most plausible story. Giant physics defying robots fighting giant physics defying monsters. It required a good deal of suspension of disbelief, which is something I'm quite adept at (thank you Star Wars and Star Trek). There were plot holes (though not any showstoppers). There was some scenery chewing (looking at you Idris Elba and Max Martini) but it was AWESOME scenery chewing.<br /><br />But here's the point: I had a BLAST watching it (IMAX 3D helped I'm sure). It was quite simply the most fun I've had watching a movie in theatres in a LONG time (and I see a LOT of movies in theatres that are good fun). I got invested in the characters and their struggles. That's what it takes to make #1.<br /><br />Happy New Year, let's make 2014 fun.Alexander Piercehttps://plus.google.com/102548009831067408193noreply@blogger.com0